inthekitchen
soup, and a lemon curd tart with pistachio
foam. “It was a fun challenge for me – and
it was nerve-racking,” he says. Stuart got
the job, and with it, came the freedom to
develop a menu for a restaurant unlike any
other in Winnipeg.
T he resu lt i ng menu nods to t he
s pa’s Nord ic t he me w it h touc he s
of S c a nd i n av i a n i n s pi r at ion, l i ke
smorrebrod, an open-faced sandwich
topped with fish or meat on buttered
dense rye bread. In doing his research, the
locavore chef noticed parallels between
ingredients available in Scandinavia
and Canada, like mushrooms and trout.
Stuart is passionate when talking about
food suppliers and their Manitoba-made
ingredients that go into his dishes. “We
have such a huge culinary scene compared
to 10 years ago,” Stuart says. “It’s crazy
culinary arts at Red River College when he
returned from his expedition. He enjoyed
the hands-on learning rather than sitting
in a classroom listening to a university
professor’s lecture.
One of the restaurants Stuart applied
to out of culinary school was the now-
closed Fude Inspired Cuisine and Wine
Bar (named one of Ciao! ’s best new
restaurants in 2002.) He was told to come
back when he had more experience. Six
months later, the determined young cook
reapplied and got the job. One year later
he was head chef. “I wouldn’t recommend
that path for any student fresh out of
culinary school, but it was restaurant
school for me,” Stuart says. Over the seven
years he worked at Fude, he learned the
business side of running a restaurant and
essential people management skills.
“We have such a huge culinary scene compared to
10 years ago,” Stuart says. “It’s crazy how much it’s
blossomed. It’s so nice.”
how much it’s blossomed. It’s so nice.”
Stuart draws on those inf luences to
provide a unique experience for Thermea’s
visitors, who, when planning a day of
soaking and steaming, may view food as
a second thought. But the spa’s thermal
cycle – going from a steamy sauna to a
frigid pool – makes spa-goers naturally
hungry, Stuart says.
Other cultures and countries have
a lways prov ided inspiration for the
Winnipeg-born and raised chef. Fresh out
of high school, Stuart didn’t know what
he wanted to do; he tried university, he
dropped out halfway into his first year.
Instead, he decided to travel Europe for
three months. He absorbed the culinary
cultures of France, Switzerland, Greece
and Morocco. From wandering the fresh
food markets to eating tripe for the first
time, the adventure opened his eyes to
the world of food. “Going from country
to country and seeing the food scenes
that I didn’t see in Winnipeg at the time
inspired me,” he says.
Fueled by curiosity, Stuart enrolled in
36
ciao! / dec/jan / two thousand eighteen
In his position at Thermea, Stuart is
passing on what he learned, determined
to provide the young cooks in his kitchen
with an opportunity to continue learning
a f ter leav ing cu lina r y school. He’s
combating staff turnover by creating a
supportive environment. He offers after-
hours master classes taught by himself
and his sous chef on topics like sourdough
bread baking, beer making, and pickling.
He hosts staff cooking competitions.
Cooks – including Red River College
students on their co-op placements – have
the opportunity to develop daily specials.
This focus on his staff is working – there
are cooks on his roster that have been
there since the restaurant opened.
Chef Thomas’s behind-t he-scenes
leadership filters its way onto every plate
that leaves the kitchen. What he and his
team seem to understand instinctively is
the importance of each of the small details
that add up to an experience – the way a
perfect bite of crusty sourdough or a juicy
local tomato can turn a relaxing day into
something utterly luxurious.